The work of the NGPJV is guided by our2006_NGPJV_Impementation_Plan.pdf, which seeks to achieve the goals and objectives of the four Major bird initiatives. Working both collectively and independently, Northern Great Plains Joint Venture partners conduct activities in support of bird conservation goals developed by the partnership. These activities include:

Biological planning, conservation design, and prioritization

Project development and implementation

Monitoring, evaluation, and applied research activities

Communications and outreach

Fund-raising for projects and activities

The NGPJV as established in 2004 and formally designated as one of 18 U.S. Habitat Joint Ventures in 2006. US Habitat Joint Ventures are collaborative, regional partnerships of government agencies, non-profit organizations, corporations, tribes, and individuals that work to conserve habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.

Key elements in this Strategic Plan are:

Build a strong science base

Develop Partnerships

The NGPJV is a forum for building partnerships in biological planning, conservation design, implementation of habitat conservation projects and programs, monitoring bird populations, and colaborating on research and communications.

Integrated Bird Conservation is about:

Conserving Birds Across Geopolitical Boundaries

Most birds travel great distances across our politically delineated landscapes – flying hundreds, in some cases thousands of miles during annual migrations. On-the-ground management is often linked to bird population response at the regional or continental scale. Bird conservation, therefore, requires broad geographical perspectives – perspectives that are regional, national, continental, hemispheric, even global in scale. Coordinating and supporting conservation activities across these geopolitical boundaries will insure that birds are protected throughout the geographic ranges of their annual life cycles.

Conserving Birds Across Taxonomic Groups

Birds of different taxonomic groups, such as waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, and songbirds, often share the same habitats or use adjoining habitats within the landscape. By using a common spatial language and ecological framework to identify priority habitats and sites shared among birds of different taxonomic groups, conservation actions can be directed comprehensively to all priority birds within a landscape. Finding such 'common ground' is key to conserving North America's precious bird diversity.

Conserving Birds Across Landscapes

Both humans and wildlife depend upon the bounty of the earth's natural landscapes for sustenance and survival. Sustainable landscape-level conservation thus requires that the biological needs of birds, and a host of other wildlife, be successfully incorporated into land-use policies, programs, and management practices affecting broad landscapes at regional scales. Since bird populations respond throughout their ranges to variations in landscape-level conditions, bird conservation must be delivered in the context of achieving a pre-established design of landscape sustainability.

THe Key for the NGPJV partners is Habitat on the ground.

WHY WE ARE EFFECTIVE

The ability to find common ground among diverse interests has proven to be a great factor in the success of the NGPJV partnerships:

We provide conservation leadership

We foster strategic collaboration

We help build regional capacity for conservation

We leverage funding opportunities

We develop a strong science foundation to guide conservation

We emphasize habitat delivery outcomes

We recognize and support conservation leaders

We communicate with public and private partners within our region and beyond